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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Hemming a Circle Skirt, Part Two

Here's the second part of this video tutorial on narrow-hemming a circle skirt! There are several ways to do this; this is the one that worked best for me. Another method is to use a narrow hemmer foot on your machine (check out this article for more info). Many people get great results from it, but I've definitely yet to master it! So this is a nice alternative that gives you greater control and is super easy.Let me know if you have any questions!

35 comments:

Hi, Gertie!Just a suggestion: the hemming technique you just demonstrated is called a baby hem, perhaps it would be a good idea to let the other readers know that so they can use it for further reference.

Susan Khalje uses a similar method, only she does one more turn and one more line of stitching. She says this gives it a little more weight and thus, it swirls better. The dress on the cover of her book 'Linen and Cotton' is done that way. Love your blog.

Hi Lorrie! You don't need to worry about easing in fullness with the gathered skirt. Since the pattern pieces are just rectanges, they're easy-peasy to hem. They don't have the tricky curved hem of a circle skirt.

You legend, I'm making a dress that's been adapted to have a circle skirt AS WE SPEAK. You're brilliant!

Oh and I wanted to ask about if you mind terribly if I used one of your images in a blog entry about you? I want to explain the people on my blogroll and spread the good word ;) :) obv. hosted on my webby, naturally.

Very nice...like how you incorporated the still photos this time. A little more time consuming but allows your viewers to see the close ups. I see you are squanched for space...I know what that is like living in a rather small house. It took my daughter getting her own apartment for me to finally have a spot to set my machines up. Needless to say they get put away when she comes home to visit. Great Job...love Henry <3

Great videos! For beginner sewers, just remember that if you are REALLY picky about the length, to mark it about 1/4" longer, because that will be folded up, when you make the second and final fold.

I have one of those machine hem roller feet, and it's very difficult to start on a complete circle, so your technique (and the bias tape technique mentioned in one of the comments) are excellent solutions.

Thank you soooo much for the tutorial. I've been struggling trying to figure out the best way to do this on my first circle skirt and every other tutorial I've found so far had told me I needed a special foot or a serger or this and that to do this. Thank goodness for you! Now I'm off to go and give it a go. Thanks again. :)

Great tutorial. I would leave a circle skirt to drop longer than a day - even as long as a week if you have the patience as some fabrics drop more slowly than others. :) Also for people with large bottoms or hips, they need to put a dress or skirt on and get someone else to mark it as this changes the length, but I think your mark on the wall hem marking is really clever! :)

April here: I have jusst discovered your blog- LOVE it! My mom is teaching me how to sew and I have to say that hand sewing is not my fav! I made a dress (thankyou mom) this last weekend and I have been doing a terrible job stiching it so far. After your blog today-7-5-11 I got to thinking that I don't need to hand sew. It is not a circle skirt, more like an A-line. Would this technique work for me?Thankyou!

Thank you so much for this, I was so proud of myself for getting all the way through my pattern for my circle skirt without any help (sewed my first zipper and everything!) until I got to the hem. I sat there staring at the skirt ready to call my mom, and then I searched your blog! Thanks for coming through for me again. -Tara

Thank you so much! I just made it nearly the entire way through a circle skirt pattern all on my own (sewed my first zipper and everything!) until I got to the hem...it was so daunting I nearly gave it up for another month or so. I'm probably the biggest procrastinator around so thank goodness I thought to search your blog. Off to go finish a project! Wooh, it feels so nice to type that. hahaha